Producing equivalent content across encapsulators in a network environment

Abstract

A method is provided in one example and includes receiving first synchronization information associated with a first encapsulated output, receiving second synchronization information associated with a second encapsulated output, and determining whether the first encapsulated output and the second encapsulated output are in synchronization based upon the first synchronization information and the second synchronization information. The method may further include, when the first encapsulated output and the second encapsulated output are determined to out of synchronization, generating corrected synchronization information, and sending the corrected synchronization information to an encapsulator generating at least one of the first encapsulated output and the second encapsulated output.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 receiving first synchronization information associated with a first encapsulated output from a first encapsulator, wherein the first synchronization information includes at least one timestamp value of the first encapsulated output and wherein the first synchronization information further includes one or more a timestamp wrap count value representative of a number of times the timestamp value has wrapped around to an initial timestamp value within a timestamp range, a timestamp delta value representative of an amount of time that a timestamp has lumped backward in time, and a timestamp jump count value representative of a number of times of a discontinuous jump forward in time of a timestamp; 
 receiving second synchronization information associated with a second encapsulated output from a second encapsulator; 
 determining whether the first encapsulated output and the second encapsulated output are in synchronization within an acceptable threshold based, at least in part, on the first synchronization information and the second synchronization information; and 
 responsive to the first encapsulated output and the second encapsulated output being determined to be out of synchronization:
 generating corrected synchronization information by using one of the first synchronization information and the second synchronization information as the corrected synchronization information based upon which of the first synchronization information and the second synchronization information includes a greater timestamp value; and 
 sending the corrected synchronization information to one of the first encapsulator and the second encapsulator. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the first encapsulated output and the second encapsulated output are in synchronization further includes determining whether the first synchronization information is equivalent to the second synchronization information. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first synchronization information further includes a first index value associated with the first encapsulated output. 
     
     
       4. One or more non-transitory tangible media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor operable to perform operations comprising:
 receiving first synchronization information associated with a first encapsulated output from a first encapsulator, wherein the first synchronization information includes at least one timestamp value of the first encapsulated output and wherein the first synchronization information further includes one or more a timestamp wrap count value representative of a number of times the timestamp value has wrapped around to an initial timestamp value within a timestamp range, a timestamp delta value representative of an amount of time that a timestamp has lumped backward in time, and a timestamp jump count value representative of a number of times of a discontinuous jump forward in time of a timestamp; 
 receiving second synchronization information associated with a second encapsulated output from a second encapsulator; 
 determining whether the first encapsulated output and the second encapsulated output are in synchronization within an acceptable threshold based, at least in part, on the first synchronization information and the second synchronization information; and 
 responsive to the first encapsulated output and the second encapsulated output being determined to be out of synchronization:
 generating corrected synchronization information by using one of the first synchronization information and the second synchronization information as the corrected synchronization information based upon which of the first synchronization information and the second synchronization information includes a greater timestamp value; and 
 sending the corrected synchronization information to one of the first encapsulator and the second encapsulator. 
 
 
     
     
       5. The media of  claim 4 , wherein determining whether the first encapsulated output and the second encapsulated output are in synchronization further includes determining whether the first synchronization information is equivalent to the second synchronization information. 
     
     
       6. The media of  claim 4 , wherein the first synchronization information further includes a first index value associated with the first encapsulated output. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus, comprising:
 a memory element configured to store data, 
 a processor operable to execute instructions associated with the data, and 
 wherein the processor is configured to:
 receive first synchronization information associated with a first encapsulated output from a first encapsulator, wherein the first synchronization information includes at least one timestamp value of the first encapsulated output and wherein the first synchronization information further includes one or more a timestamp wrap count value representative of a number of times the timestamp value has wrapped around to an initial timestamp value within a timestamp range, a timestamp delta value representative of an amount of time that a timestamp has lumped backward in time, and a timestamp jump count value representative of a number of times of a discontinuous jump forward in time of a timestamp; 
 receive second synchronization information associated with a second encapsulated output from a second encapsulator; 
 determine whether the first encapsulated output and the second encapsulated output are in synchronization within an acceptable threshold based, at least in part, on the first synchronization information and the second synchronization information; and 
 responsive to the first encapsulated output and the second encapsulated output being determined to be out of synchronization: 
 generate corrected synchronization information by using one of the first synchronization information and the second synchronization information as the corrected synchronization information based upon which of the first synchronization information and the second synchronization information includes a greater timestamp value; and 
 send the corrected synchronization information to one of the first encapsulator and the second encapsulator. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the first encapsulated output and the second encapsulated output are in synchronization by determining whether the first synchronization information is equivalent to the second synchronization information. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising periodically polling each of the first encapsulator and the second encapsulator for the first synchronization information and the second synchronization information, respectively. 
     
     
       10. The media of  claim 4 , wherein the operations further include periodically polling each of the first encapsulator and the second encapsulator for the first synchronization information and the second synchronization information, respectively. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to periodically poll each of the first encapsulator and the second encapsulator for the first synchronization information and the second synchronization information, respectively.